El Rancho Unified to fire 1 school administrator, reassign 5 others

The board last month voted to send pink slips to 23 district principals, assistant principals and other administrators as a legally required heads up that the superintendent may fire or reassign them for the coming school year.

El Rancho Unified officials this week moved to fire one school-level administrator and reassign five others effective next school year — drawing ire from the community, according to school board member Carolyn Castillo.

This week’s action is the result of the pink slips. It’s unclear whether those effected have received notices of their reassignment or termination.

El Rancho officials said in a statement posted to Facebook they could not discuss the staffing changes at this time because of confidentiality considerations. Superintendent Karling Aguilera-Fort did not respond to emailed questions about the changes.

“Reassignment of administrators is a common practice in education, and in this case fulfills identified needs at various school sites,” the post reads. “The district is confident that these administrators will continue to positively impact El Rancho students in their new assignments and thanks them for their service and commitment.”

Aguilera-Fort previously said that all administrators were put on notice as a way to avoid singling out individuals while creating a “culture of accountability, excellence, and flexibility, where we all are constantly evaluating our work and identifying areas to improve and adapt.” Last year, the superintendent sent pink slips to just four administrators, he said.

The details of the district’s reassignment plan remains unclear. Castillo said she knows the names of the affected administrators but said she was unable to disclose them. The district’s statement said parents would soon be notified of the process of recruiting replacement school leaders.

“My understanding is the reassignments are to a different school or a reassignment into the classroom,” Castillo said. “I did not see a reorganization plan.”

Parents at one school are already reacting. Some Durfee Elementary parents are planning a protest outside the school 8 a.m. Monday. They also plan to keep their children home from school as part of their move to keep Principal Sam Genis at the elementary school — he was apparently one of those who received a notice, according to parent Maria Elizondo.

Elizondo and other parents who are organizing the protest say they love Genis and want him to remain on as principal.

Chris Lindahl covers Pasadena, El Monte and Pico Rivera for the Southern California News Group. He previously wrote for the Cape Cod Times and Daily Hampshire Gazette in his home state of Massachusetts, where his coverage included higher education, marijuana policy and LGBTQ issues. He's reveling in the novelty of being able to hit the ski slopes and the beach in the same day, however impractical that might be.